a few shots of the action The Tea Catcher style at the Market Shed at Holland St, City…thanks again to all the fine punters and stallholders and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year….oh last minute#presents still available if needed….!
( am happy to courier ) http://theteacatcher.com.au/?page_id=16

The Tea Catcher and stall, cultivated chaos..
(and cheerier than looks…! (see next photo…!)
Thanks to all who came past for a chat and to enjoy a sip of tea, iced or warm…….cheers and enjoy the holidays!

many old faves (inc. org green, org first flush.silver tips, earl grey etc) as well as some great new ones (org oolongs, new first, second and autumn flushes, another white tea and more…stay tuned…!

rough and ready enough to open now after leaving Katmandu and passing through both Bancock and Singapore in a careful hurry to get the freshness to us ASAP…

and first into the pot- Jun Chiyabari Himalayan Jade Hand-rolled Organic 2nd flush
Himalayan Jade J-31A, 2013
What a beaut…! Glorious leaf after 5 big minutes under water….still heaps to go i feel and this wonderful tea will take a few steeps in the future…Tea of the highest quality…..!

NB due to the fluctuations in the $A prices of the new season teas will likely rise a little, so head to the shop now or the markets thursdays and sundays, and help clean the shelves and grab some bargains….

The 200g teas will exit the online store soon to make room for new teas but bulk prices always available from theteacatcher@gmail.com

This tea uses spring material from two villages in Yiwu area,the first village is San He Lao Zhai （三合老寨）, higher altitude than Yiwu town tea gardens. The second village is Zhang Jia Wan Xin Zhai （张家湾新寨 All the material has been picked before 8th April and comes from 30-60 years old plantations free of spray and other fertilizers!

This puerh has been completely handmade, stone pressed in the Yiwu town.

Floral and sweet, soft, full in mouth and with a pleasant aroma.

both #tea s were rinsed once, then very short steeps (5-30 sec) in water off the boil…the tea leaf out of water hand a smell that reminded me of the ‘marc’ or leftover grape material in white wine making in particular…fruity AND funky..part of the post ferment of the tea cake possibly..

‘Teaism’

japanese tea ceremony

“When tea is more than a drink and the tea ceremony is understood and practiced to foster harmony in humanity, promote harmony with nature, discipline the mind, quiet the heart, and attain the purity of enlightenment, the art of tea becomes teaism.The term “chadao” has two words, the first being ‘tea’ and the second the Chinese loanword tao/dao/ native suffix -ism (also Japanese: 主義), and could thus be read as ‘teaism’. Another, more literal reading of the word is the ‘way of tea’ (茶 tea and 道 way), comparable with for example 弓道; the way of the bow. The term can be used to describe tea ceremony as the interests in tea culture and studies and pursued over time with self-cultivation.Teaism is mostly a simplistic mode of aesthetics, but there are subtle insights into ethics, and even metaphysics. Teaism is related to teamind. A sense of focus and concentration while under the influence of great tasting tea.

A ‘ Teaist’ is a person who performs or enjoys the art of tea and ‘teaism. In Chinese and Japanese, as well as South Korean traditional culture, there are well developed teaisms.” [wiki- tea lore]

“…meanwhile let us have a cup of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing(sighing?) of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.” Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea,[wiki]1906